In the modern world, it’s not easy to be a virgin, especially if you happen to be forty years old. Andy Stitzer is one of these rare specimens, and his sex-obsessed co-workers decide to help him find a mate, which is easier said than done. The plot, such as it is, sounds conventional and it is – but the film never falls into the standard teen movie boob-ytraps. Director Judd Apatow, producer of The Ben Stiller Show and director of the TV-series Undeclared, skillfully portrays a cast of horrendous, sex-crazed characters with wit. The adult-orientated humor may be a bit heavy-handed at times, yet Apatow makes it all seem engaging.
That said, the message here seems to be that sexual abstinence before marriage is a good thing. The lead character is happy with his non-existent sex life, while his sexually active co-workers are either weirdoes, losers or victims of unhappy relationships. The female characters are wracked with guilt – either unmarried pregnant teens or single mothers. The only people who enjoy post-marital sex are those who are without sin. Perhaps the film’s investors are members of the religious right. Spooky.
Universal Pictures DreamWorks SKG

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
February 2006 issue